1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a fire extinguishing apparatus for use at oil well sites on land or on offshore oil well platforms. The fire extinguishing apparatus of this invention has a plurality of containers containing fire extinguishing material under pressure connected by conduits to a main fire extinguishing container. The main fire extinguishing container has a conduit leading from a valve in the neck thereof to the interior of a bell nipple which is located on a blow out preventor of an oil well. A manually operable spring loaded mechanism is provided to actuate the valve in the neck of the main container in the event of a fire in the interior of the bell nipple. An additional valved conduit connects the interior of the bell nipple to a source fire extinguishing material located at a remote location onshore. Upon manual release of the spring loaded mechanism, the valve in the neck of the main fire extinguishing container is opened to permit fire extinguishing material in the several containers to flow under pressure to the interior of the bell nipple thus extinguishing a fire therein. In the event that the apparatus on the platform cannot be actuated, a source of fire extinguishing material onshore may be actuated so that fire extinguishing material under pressure may flow through the additional valved conduit to the interior of the bell nipple extinguishing a fire therein.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
Prior developments in this field are shown, by way of general illustration, in the following list of patents:
D. S. Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,175; Apr. 10, 1974 PA0 G. W. Wiseman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,474; Jan. 1, 1974 PA0 G. H. Menge; U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,936; Oct. 9, 1973 PA0 B. W. Wiseman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,299; Nov. 16, 1971